Alzheimer's Association: One in Three Seniors Dies of the Disease

by Administrator
(Littleton)

The Alzheimer’s Association has released its 2015 Alzheimer’s Disease facts and figures report including startling statistics such as one in three seniors dies with the disease or another dementia. By 2050, the number of people age 65 and over with Alzheimer’s could triple to a projected 13.8 million.

Additionally, an estimated 5.3 million Americans of all ages have the disease in 2015 and of those an estimated 5.1 million people are age 65 and older. Approximately 200,000 individuals are under age 65, living with younger-onset Alzheimer’s.

Other key statistics include:

Only 45% of people with Alzheimer’s disease or their caregivers report being told of their diagnoses, while more than 90% of people with the four most common types of cancer have been told of their diagnosis.Almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women and of the 5.1 million people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s in the United States, 3.2 million are women (and 1.9 million are men).Approximately two-thirds of caregivers are women and 34% are age 65 or older.Older African-Americans and Hispanics are more likely than older whites to have Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers had $9.7 billion in additional health care costs of their own in 2014, due to the physical and emotional tool of caregiving.